Mayim Bialik Out As Syndicated Jeopardy Host

[Stackertosh]

She just announced on instagram that she's not returning.


https://www.instagram.com/p/C05G11gPBwg/?hl=en

[calliaume]

She just posted it to her Facebook feed.

No mention of whether she’ll be doing any prime time episodes.

[PYLdude]

Wasn’t particularly blown away by her hosting job, but still sorry to see her go from the proceedings. Mazel tov, Mayim.

[snowpeck]

The show also posted to social media, saying they wanted to "maintain continuity" for their viewers by having only one host. They did, however, say they hope to continue working with her on the primetime specials.

[inturnaround]

Yeah, I think that a lot of the criticism of her has been overblown. Like the folks on Reddit who hated when she called the Jeopardy! round Single Jeopardy sometimes which Alex himself would do on occasion. Some folks just didn't like her from jump because she wasn't Ken and there was nothing she could have done to win them over and so every little thing they didn't like became a whole thing.

But I don't think her ratings were that much different from Ken's and that ultimately meant that it was easier just to go with one host. Did her leaving to support the strike come into play here? I bet it didn't help, but I doubt it was the main reason. I think it's more that they just wanted to have one host for continuity for the daily game. I'm betting that if ABC wants her for the next season of Celebrity J!, Sony will make a deal with her for that.

Regardless, I like Mayim and I wish her well.

[Nick]

The show also posted to social media, saying they wanted to "maintain continuity" for their viewers by having only one host.

It took them that long to consider that continuity of host might be something that would make sense?

Did her leaving to support the strike come into play here? I bet it didn't help, but I doubt it was the main reason.

I think not showing up for work when you don't have a legal right not to is not going to help you remain employed.

[BrandonFG]

I don’t think that factored in, although the bosses may have figured the ratings didn’t suffer without her. But when it comes to the strike, standing in solidarity with writers is usually accepted and crossing the picket lines to host would’ve been highly frowned upon.

Ken himself got flak for still hosting. Granted it was mostly on Twitter, where everyone is performative with the activism but folks were still upset.

[Dbacksfan12]

The show also posted to social media, saying they wanted to "maintain continuity" for their viewers by having only one host.

It took them that long to consider that continuity of host might be something that would make sense?

Did her leaving to support the strike come into play here? I bet it didn't help, but I doubt it was the main reason.

I think not showing up for work when you don't have a legal right not to is not going to help you remain employed.

I’d say Mayim Bialk has a little more pull on her work attendance than you or I.

[Nick]

I’d say Mayim Bialk has a little more pull on her work attendance than you or I.

No doubt she does, but when the ratings are not any higher when you are there, and the powers that be have come around to the idea that a single host makes sense, your work attendance (or more of it) might have had a little more pull on your longevity at the job when the axe came falling.

[steveleb]

Much ado about nothing, and yes, ratings differential was inconsequential.  At one time there was a faction inside Sony that truly believed in having a female "name" host and effectively there was an impasse.  Rather than try and force one side to cave, the decision was made to go with the dual hosts--this also helped to promote the newer primetime efforts with the strong, ABC-heavy base of stations the syndicated version offered.  Her decision to support the writers was not well received by management, that's true, but hardly the reason they chose this route.  In the end, what we have is effectively no different than what we saw decades ago--one host for the daytime version, one host for the nighttime version.  So Mayim Bialik is the 21st century Bill Cullen.  Obladi.  Oblada.

[calliaume]

I'm astonished at how many news outlets have reported she's out as host altogether. (I just sent a correction to our local paper.) Can't anyone read a press release anymore?

[Nick]

I'm astonished at how many news outlets have reported she's out as host altogether. (I just sent a correction to our local paper.) Can't anyone read a press release anymore?

Oh, heck no.

But outside of the syndicated version, what other network primetime offerings are in the offing that she could be hosting?  Did I miss the part where Celebrity Jeopardy! and Jeopardy! Masters became multi-season things beyond what has already been announced to have Ken hosting?

[Matt Ottinger]

But outside of the syndicated version, what other network primetime offerings are in the offing that she could be hosting?  Did I miss the part where Celebrity Jeopardy! and Jeopardy! Masters became multi-season things beyond what has already been announced to have Ken hosting?

Seems like at this point there's just a general feeling that ABC has a standing order for special Jeopardy! events.  Whether anything is official or not, I think regular appearances of Celebrity Jeopardy! are just assumed.

[Mr. Brown]

There's now some threads on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, claiming she was "forced out" due to some "antisemitic" comments she made in support of Palestinians. Clearly folks who don't follow the world of game shows.

Honestly, this two host thing was a stupid idea from the beginning and we can thank Mike Richards for causing it. It certainly didn't help that she stopped showing up to work in support of the WGA and SAG strikes when she had no legal right to do so.

[snowpeck]

I'm astonished at how many news outlets have reported she's out as host altogether. (I just sent a correction to our local paper.) Can't anyone read a press release anymore?

At least I can say the news organization I work for has the correct information (because I wrote the article).